Rehabilitation
by Flying Boat Boy
Summary: Harry Potter thought that he could get a nice and quiet happy ending once he defeated Lord Voldemort. Oh, how wrong was he. Now with his life spiraling out of control, he leaves the Wizarding World for another to seek help with his alcohol problem. Too bad the district he bought his apartment in has a large emphasis on its party and drinking culture. Rated M for lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING! This story is rated M for a reason. There will be instances of drug use and its effects, profanity, and scenes including sex. If you are not over the age of 18, then turn away. That being said, I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter and Zoophobia canon. They are the rightful property of J.K Rowling and Vivienne Madrano respectively.**

**Here we go...my first M rated story. **

**Chapter 1: A New Chance.**

Everybody knew who Harry Potter was. From the oldest adults who spoke of his name with reverence, to children who struggled to pronounce his name as their parents read to them the stories.

Stories of his past. His tragedy. His power. His destiny. His accomplishments.

The listing is endless. As were the many titles that he accumulated over time. The Boy-Who-Lived when he was one, Protector of the Philosopher Stone when he was eleven, Slayer of the Basilisk when he was twelve, Hippogriff tamer when he was thirteen, Champion of the Triwizard Tournament when he was fourteen. And He-Who-Vanquished-Evil when he was seventeen, defeating perhaps one of the most reviled and despotic Dark Wizards in the history of the Wizarding World.

In time, stories became rumors, and those just grew more and more far-fetched as times pasted.

Some said he could ride dragons. Another said he had a tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail across his chest. Another said he was a man of towering height, intellect, and strength. The whispers amongst the teenage girl's said hair were as dark as the night, and that his eyes shone like emerald gems. Regardless, all of them sang the same tune. He was a hero in every consideration. The perfect protagonist of the story.

...

Oh, such fools. All of them.

Then again, would you really consider to think about what happened to the hero once the story ended and the main antagonist was defeated? Harry knew he wouldn't have. Amidst all the joys and the celebrations following the death of Voldemort and the liberation from his tyranny, one finds it easier to just focus on Harry's achievements and presume that the life that he had afterward is just as perfect as the victory that he attained.

For Harry, he learned the hard way that life **just **wasn't that kind to you.

It started with Ginny Weasley.

To be honest, he never really understood why he fell in love with her. That's not to say that she had no admirable traits; she was beautiful, brave, sharp-witted, powerful and intelligent in her own rights. It's just when asked what was the **one **specific thing that made him fall in love with her, he always struggled to pinpoint what it was exactly.

Maybe it was because she was his best mate's sister and that he had pretty much grown up with her, that he couldn't stand the sight of her in another man's arms. Maybe that was what drew him to her.

What does it matter now? It's over.

Once the bodies had been buried following the Battle of Hogwarts and the mourning phase was over, they all settled into the lives that they fought so long to accomplish. Ron started dating Hermione, Harry dated Ginny, George dated Angelina Johnson, and so forth.

That was when the strains in their relationships began to appear.

Turns out they were a lot more different in personalities and ambitions than initially thought. Ginny, having grown up with six very successful brothers, sought to make her mark on the world and was very ambitious and adventurous, true to her Gryffindor lineage. Hence she joined the Holyhead Harpies. Harry, having grown long tired of the fame and stress that came with an adventurous lifestyle, just wanted to settle down and live a quiet life. He didn't like the Auror Office as much as he did in his youth, and while he was extremely happy for Ginny when she was made the captain of the Holyhead Harpies, he still had lingering feelings of regret whenever he retired to the bed at night, only to find the other side cold and empty.

Then the dreams picked up again.

Thankfully, it wasn't a case of Voldemort trying to infiltrate his head again. That ordeal was long gone.

But rather they were memories or projections of memories. Time and time, over and over again, Harry would find himself transported back to Hogwarts, back to the site of the battle. There he would watch as the bodies began to pile up. Bodies of people he knew and loved.

Fred lying in the arms of his grieving mother.

Colin slumped against the wall, his eyes devoid of color.

Lavender reduced to a savaged pile of flesh by Fenrir Greyback.

Lupin and Tonks, holding their hands together as if they were asleep. Together till even death.

'_I killed you' _Harry repeated to himself as he walked along the Great Hall, counting the bodies while trying his damndest to drown out the choir of anguish all around him, _"And you. And you. You. You. And You.'_

It was a numbing experience, and that wasn't helped by the fact that he never had someone to hold onto when the dreams wrecked his bodies at night. He tried writing to Ginny, and while she responded consistently the first few times, her letters slowly grew shorter and less frequent. Soon they disappeared altogether.

Harry knew why and he didn't blame her for it. She had a career to think about and the last thing she would want is the reputation of having a clingy boyfriend who has to burden her with his mental issues, regardless if he was the Boy-Who-Lived or not. Both of them could tell at this point that things just weren't working out.

Two months after her last letter, she returned back to their apartment from her Quidditch Cup tour. They broke up soon afterward.

There was no wand-waving, or swearing, or violence. Both Harry and Ginny were extremely civil about it. Both of them agreed that the whole thing just wasn't working out and the best thing for both of them at this point was to stop it before it could hurt either of them further.

Looking back, Harry never understood why he left Ginny the apartment. Looking back, that gesture of goodwill just turned out to be more devastating for him than her. She barely even used the damn thing!

He, on the other hand, moved in with Andromeda Tonks.

He respected Andromeda. She was like him in many ways. She came from a Pure-Blood lineage, and like him, she lost her entire family to the same war that consumed his, having lost her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. Lost like him, the two of them banded together to help raise Teddy Lupin, the son of her daughter and son-in-law as a tribute to their sacrifice.

Oh, Teddy.

He was nothing but a bundle of sunshine every waking moment of Harry and Andromeda's lives. As a child, despite looking remarkably like his father, he was bubbly much like his mother, always changing his appearance to mess with Harry and Andromeda. Sometimes he could change the color of his hair, other times he would change the shape of his face to match one of the many animals he read from a Muggle nursery rhyme book. Harry remembered fondly the time Teddy gave Andromeda quite the shock when he replicated his face to look like her's.

But there was a limit to the fun. As Teddy was experimenting with the powers given to him from his mother's side of the genes, he changed his face shape to look exactly like Tonks. Everything, down to the color of her eyes, her bright pink hair, and the curvature of her chin was exactly the same as if someone had made a perfect replicate sculpture of the witch when she was still alive.

That proved too much for Andromeda, who broke into tears in the living room. Harry stood on the side, stone-faced while Teddy looked at them, through his mother's face, with worried eyes, silently pleading to Harry what was wrong with both of them.

There wasn't much Metamorphmaging from Teddy after that debacle. Andromeda became glassy-eyed and silent, often staring into the fireplace as she sat in her armchair with nothing but her grief ripping at her. Harry, hoping to find some escape, turned to alcohol.

Perhaps it started when Ginny and Harry broke up, but after seeing Tonk's face on her son's body, Harry knew he had to find something to cope with the emotional pain it brought. Butterbeer was the obvious choice as it safest and had the lowest alcohol concentration, but even that soon transpired to Firewhiskey, Gin, Wine and then Whiskey.

Days became short. The night became long. Harry couldn't even tell what was the difference anymore, his mind too marred by the sway of alcohol to work properly.

His friends, of course, tried to help. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna came by often, both to help take care of Teddy and to console Harry who was quickly descending down the hole to alcoholism. How often was he reprimanded by Hermione for his behavior, or pulled into another one of Luna's conspiracy theories about his alcoholism being caused by his profession?

They tried to help, but never succeed as they didn't understand his pain. They didn't have the pressure of living day-by-day with a child that looked so similar to people that he loved, haunting him every time he looked at the boy. They didn't have a failing relationship like he did. And they sure as hell weren't hooked onto drugs like he was. They say it was easy to let go of the drugs. Just ditch them into the fire. But how can it be easy when drugs are the only thing that helps him sleep at night if he could sleep at all for that matter?

He was fired from the Auror Office shortly afterward, due to his alcohol problem.

Oh, the _Daily Prophet_ had a field day with him. Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived and the Chosen One. Disgraced Auror at the age of twenty, alcoholic and failed lover. What a scoop!

Harry didn't care. Why should he? What's one more scandal to a boy who's been the media's plaything for most of his life. A glass of whiskey with some gin always helps drown out the stares and voices anyway.

But one of the things he did regret from his alcoholism was how it affected poor Teddy.

"You need to go" Andromeda had said to him as she nursed a sobbing Teddy while Harry stood over them, shock coursing through his veins as he stared at his hands. The very same hands that slapped Teddy moments ago. Andromeda had finally snapped out of her stupor, once she saw the poor boy fall to the floor due to Harry's inexcusable actions.

"I...I didn't mean to-" Harry stammered, the panic rising to his throat.

"I know" She shot him a sad look, cradling Teddy closer to her for comfort, "I know the pain you are feeling right now, having experienced it myself when I lost my husband and my daughter. I know you are fighting it as hard as you can right now, but you and I both know that we can't risk Teddy's wellbeing anymore. I'm sorry, Harry. But you need to go and get help"

She walked over to the cupboard hanging over the work desk that sat in the corner of the living room, holding the three-year-old Teddy in her arms as she dug around until she got what she needed. "Here," said Andromeda, sliding a bundle of papers to Harry, "Before Remus passed, he'd been collecting information on werewolf hideouts back when he was undercover for Dumbledore. Towns and Enclaves where populations of werewolves live in hiding. He went to all of them, except one. Safe Haven looks like a good place to go to for rehabilitation. It has very good medical infrastructure there, as well as a sizable werewolf population. It's is also home to a variety of other creatures, as well as humans."

"Why don't I just go to St. Mungo?"

"Because I can see that you are hurting. Just staying in the Wizarding World is causing too much of you bad memories to resurface, forcing you to take drugs to force it back down. Perhaps some time outside of the Wizarding World would do you some good?" explained Andromeda. Harry walked over and hugged the woman, as well as Teddy.

"Thank you" whispered Harry, "Take care of him, please"

"Of course I will" replied Andromeda patiently, patting his back comfortingly.

"I'll transfer the majority of my money from Gringotts. It's not like I'm going to be needing all of it, seeing as where I'm going. Make sure Teddy gets the best possible chance in life" said Harry.

"Of course. Thank you, Harry" With her blessings, Harry reached down and rubbed Teddy's cheek. His eyes hardened at the bruise mark on his smooth skin.

"Heya, Teddy?" Teddy's heterochromia eyes, blue and green, stared back at Harry, the fear evident in his eyes. Harry smiled or at least tried to smile as best as he could in his haggard condition. "Look, I so sorry about this." Harry chewed his lips while Teddy looked at him intensely, his eyes flickering from color to color, "Your Godfather's sick, so he might have to go away for some time to get better. Look after yourself and make sure you don't give your Granny too much trouble, alright?"

Teddy opened his mouth, and with great difficulty, mumbled a word, "Ohm?"

Harry smiled sadly, reaching a hand up to wipe away the tears on Teddy's eyes before they could begin flowing, "Who knows, ya little tyke? Maybe it'll take only a few months, maybe years. But I promise to you, I'll be a changed man when I come back"

**Author Notes: So this story just came to me as I was lying in bed sleeping. Will this in any way impact the updates from Harry Potter, Guard of Satan: The Philosopher's Stone? None at all. This story will be M rated though. So be warned. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter and Zoophobia canon. They are the rightful property of J.K Rowling and Vivienne Madrano respectively.**

**Chapter 2: Fellow Passengers**

_Dear Ron and Hermione,_

_I'm sorry for contacting you guys on such short notice but it is paramount that you get my message._

**_I've hit Teddy._**

_I know, it's atrocious, and I cannot forgive myself despite the fact that Teddy forgave me. This incident shows that my alcohol dependency is becoming a glaring problem, one that I aim to fix as soon as I can._

_I'm moving to another place. It's called Safe Haven, a hidden refuge in America for werewolves and other persecuted races. Apparently, Lupin had been collecting information on it back when he'd been undercover for Dumbledore, but he himself never went to the place because it was so far away from the war._

_Based on his notes, which Andromeda gave me, it's relatively unknown but boasts exceptional medical facilities. Hopefully...one of those could help me with my problem._

_DON'T FOLLOW ME. There is no telling what else the place could be like. Besides..._

_Andromeda and Teddy need your help, now more than ever. I'll be fine on my own._

_You guys have always helped me. We've been together for so much. The war, my break-up with Ginny, my struggles with alcohol._

_Now, this is a path I go by myself. You guys have your own lives to think about._

_I'll send you guys an owl once I get to Safe Haven._

_Many loves,_

_Harry._

Harry held within his hands three letters, each labeled to different recipients - Ron & Hermione for one, Neville for another, and Luna for the last one, but otherwise, the contents of the letters held the same message. With any luck, they'll pass the message onto everyone else he knew. Saves him the trouble of writing a hundred letters to all his friends and acquaintances.

With shaky hands, he reached forward and clasped the letters onto the small satchels attached to the legs of two tawny owls and a large barn owl. Once their cargo had been attached, the three birds took off through a small window in the ceiling.

Harry watched them fly off, small bits of straw from the Owlery he was standing in falling on him, before sighing and walking out of the Owlery. On his way out, he said his thanks to the manager, who nodded in appreciation as Harry opened the door and left.

The crisp and fresh air of Diagon Alley flooded Harry's sense as he left _Eelopys Owl Emporium _(the place also acts as a post office within Diagon Alley). All around him, the warmth from the sun bathed the entire street in a nice warm orange glow allowing the families of witches and wizards to go about their shopping pleasantly.

Ever the site of change, Harry reminisced fondly as he walked along Diagon Alley's streets. From the unforgettable experience he felt when he first entered the Alley, to the summer in his third year where he stayed in the _Leaky Cauldron _nearby, to even the dreariness of the Alley during his sixth and seventh year, there was always a spark in the Alley. For even as Hogwarts can feel boring sometimes, the magic of Diagon Alley was something that always entranced Harry.

"Hey, is that Harry Potter?"

"_The _Harry Potter? I read from Skeeter's reports that he's a failed Auror. Something about showing up in the Ministry drunk as a skunk"

"Are you sure you can trust her? I heard she has it out for Potter and anyone associated with him"

"Maybe so. But have a look at him! Can you tell me he's _not_ a drunkard?!"

"True. Poor boy, I heard he's been drinking for quite a while now. Started when he was dumped by the captain of the Holyhead Harpies"

Harry scowled at the conversation of the two witches talking behind his back. Eager to get their voices out of his head, he withdrew his hip flask from within his trench coat and took a swig. Hey, just because he said he's going to get help doesn't mean he's going to be going cold turkey immediately.

The familiar taste and spicy sensation of Firewhiskey flooded his throat, burning all the way on its way down to his stomach where it rested, warming him up. Harry coughed, the taste a little stronger than he liked, but it did drown out the voices of the two witches in the background, who no doubt were gasping in shock at his public display of alcoholism.

Not that he cared anymore. He would be leaving soon anyway.

Feeling regretful that his last trip to Diagon Alley was spoiled so suddenly, Harry walked back through the archway after tapping the sequence on the brick wall. As he entered the _Leaky Cauldron_ through the tiny door, he was greeted by the sight of Tom standing in front of the door leading to muggle London with the rest of Harry's luggage.

"Leaving so soon already, Mr. Potter?" asked Tom solemnly.

"Yes, Tom. Best I go before the afternoon rush comes in" Harry walked across the empty, so to be filled with hungry patrons, inn and pressed gold into Tom's hands, "My depart doesn't need any attention. Thank you, for hooking me up with a room"

"I knew you when you were just a child," said Tom, his eyes glassy, "I can still see it now and then, you know? Such a little thing you were, so eager and excited about our world. So innocent as well. Words cannot describe how proud I am of you to make it this far in life"

"I don't think you should be proud of me right now, Tom" Harry laughed though he fell silent when Tom clapped his shoulder.

"Nonsense, boy. You've done more for the Wizarding World than I can ever do myself. It matters naught what the hag of a woman writes about you in the paper, the people here know who you are and all you have done for us. We do not forget that easily, nor are we ungrateful. So what if you are struggling at this point in your life? What is life, if there is no struggle? What matters is that you have people who believe that can overcome it"

"I'll take you for your word than" Harry gave Tom one final handshake, before reaching down to grab the handle of his suitcase, "Goodbye, Tom"

"Goodbye, Mr. Potter" Tom watched silently as Harry Potter pulled his suitcase on wheels with him out of the door. Slightly curious, he watched as the wheels and Harry's heels disappeared behind the door before it shut with a light click.

He sighed, reaching down to grab a mug as he heard and felt the distinctive rumbling that indicated to him the coming flow of the afternoon-lunch rush.

* * *

The trip to the airport was rather quick, with Harry taking a regular muggle taxi to London airport. As he watched the streets of London pass by him, he occasionally took sips of alcohol out of his flask to ease the jitters that came constantly to wrack his body.

Sometimes the alcohol helped. Other times it didn't.

So he would bite his tongue and instead focus on the things going on outside the window. A red sports car driving by. A man reading a newspaper. A mother taking her child and the family dog for a walk as they jogged in a park.

It's funny, really. These _normal_ things happening without any of them having knowledge of the magical world literally hidden within the city. He wondered to himself, would he have been one of those people? Would he have walked like them completely oblivious to the

"London Airport," said the coarse voice of the taxi driver in the front seat, having not said anything the entire time he drove.

"Thanks. Here," He cursed to himself as he fumbled with the money, the shakes in his hand clearly visible as the driver stared at him curiously while accepting the money. Eager to put some distance between the two of them before anything else could happen, Harry stepped out with his suitcase.

The procession through the airport was simple. He passed through the revolving doors and proceeded to the reception line, where he handed the lady sitting there the airplane ticket he found in Lupin's papers once he reached the front.

"Are you sure about this?" The reception lady stared at him incredulously, her eyes flickering between the slip of paper he gave her and Harry, "This ticket says you've got a seat on a cargo plane"

"Really?" Harry was confused. The notes mentioned a private jet, "What terminal does it say?" asked Harry.

"Terminal 3B. But that's where all the cargo planes are. "

"Hmm..." Terminal 3B was what was written on Lupin's papers as well. Was this another case of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters? Where the real terminal 3b was hidden behind a magical veil? He might as well try, seeing as standing here was getting him nowhere, "I'll take it"

"Well...alright..." The lady still looked unsure, but nonetheless processed his plane ticket and passport for him, "Funny enough, you're not the first person I had to process today that went to the same terminal - in fact, she just passed through here. Here you go sir, once you pass through security, don't follow the main crowd through the hallway on the right. Take the left one and it should take you to where the cargo planes are designated" said the receptionist, handing Harry his papers back to him.

"Thanks" She gave a strained nod to him, before directing her attention to the next passenger behind him.

Harry passed through security relatively easily, apart from his alcohol which he had to disguise through the use of a Disillusionment Charm. With his suitcase cleared for passing, he walked down the left hallway as directed by the receptionist, pass scores of airport employees pulling and pushing trolleys of parcels and suitcases on their way to their assigned planes. Harry finally emerged out to the runway on the outside, after passing through a door and showing the security guard standing there that he had a legitimate reason to be walking down a hallway that was usually reserved for airport staff.

It was amazing, watching the many planes of all shapes and sizes, from small propeller planes to massive jumbo jets, taking off and landing on the many runways of the airport. Every time one of those marvels of engineering landed or took off, a loud whooshing and screeching sound thundered all throughout the area.

Ducking his head and covering his ears, Harry wandered around the outside of the airport until he found the terminal he was looking for.

It wasn't really a terminal, now that he had a closer look at it. All it was, really, was a large circle painted onto the asphalt with the words 3B within the large white circle. The plane on top of the circle wasn't even a jet, but rather a large and ancient-looking green biplane with massive four blades on its propeller. Standing near the plane, and close to the stairs that led to the entrance of the plane, was a woman. Harry hurried it up as quickly as he could - or as fast as his wheeled-suitcase would allow him.

If he thought the plane was hard to look at due to its green paint, then the woman standing beside it literally transcended beyond that. Her skin was shaded an unnatural light green, yet it bore no sights of embellishments or surgical alterations. It was as if her skin was just a natural shade of light green. The same could be said for her hair, which was a dark Brunswick green that cascaded down to her hips.

She really went all out on the green. Green cargo pants with a green tee-shirt and a large green belt, a green striped bandana around her neck, green flying gloves that led up to her elbows. Even the sunglasses that bore over her eyes, were green-rimmed with the glass being tinted dark green.

"You Potter?" The woman flipped her sunglasses up, allowing Harry to see that she too had - you guessed it, green eyes, "Couldn't you have booked at an earlier time? Orders just came from above telling me I had to delay take-off just as I was about to leave because of you. Now I'm going to be late for my cargo delivery, as well as cost the time of the other passenger on this plane" grumbled the woman.

Harry's heart dropped. "Sorry Ms..."

"Snake." She removed the burning cigarette from her lips and snapped it in half, before letting it fall to the ground where she grounded it underneath her boots, "Save your breath kid, I don't care why you are late. Now, I have only one rule on this here plane. No talking, no jaw-yapping. Yeh, hear? You already gave me a headache with your tardiness, I don't want to fly with one as well. You feel me?"

"Yes ma'am" Harry sputtered, being reminded strongly of a military drill instructor from muggle movies.

"Good" She gestured to the entrance, before proceeding up the stairs, "Get ya ass on the plane, got a long way to go" Harry stumbled on his way up, in part due to the jitters from his alcohol as he dragging his heavy suitcase with him.

The inside of the plane was cool, albeit loud, as the hum of the engine could be heard even from the front of the plane. A majority of the space was taken up by large crates, bound together by thick ropes and fastened by belts. Stamps indicating the fragility of their contents, ranging from glassware and books, were indicative on the wooden cases. There was a small space near the middle of the plane, where crude flight chairs were placed in a single row. Sitting on one of these chairs, with her suitcase in the chair in front of her, was a young woman with frickles, pink cheeks, and golden-brown hairs held up by a hairband.

She gave him a shy wave, one he nodded back to before he sat down on the seat parallel to her's on the other side of the plane.

"ALRIGHT! LISTEN UP! NO TALKIN WHILE WE'RE ON THE FLIGHT! KEEP A SOCK IN WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SAY UNTIL WE LAND! GOT IT?!"

Snake's voice came in over the inbuilt intercom system, despite the fact that she was a few feet away from them and entrance to the cockpit wasn't even closed off. Either way, he and the woman decided to respect Snake's wishes, keeping silent as the plane lunged forwards until it moved to the runway, where it took-off at frightening speeds. Harry felt his stomach lurch as the plane lifted off the from the ground, this time not being caused by the alcohol. He gripped the armrests on his plane tightly, until the plane steadied itself and they were cruising over the London.

Harry felt a great leap of excitement as the plane soon broke from the London coasts and entered the edges of the Atlantic Ocean, akin to the first time he boarded the Hogwarts express and went to Hogwarts. He's going to a new place, one most likely better than the one he just left from. Was he sad that he leaving his friends and family behind? Yes.

But if this trip means he can finally kick his drug addiction and come back to be a better Godfather for Teddy, then it would be worth the sacrifice.

Now...he just had to use the ocean to distract him while the lack of alcohol wrecked his body for the duration of the trip.

* * *

Harry was bored.

So, very, very, bored.

It was kind of fun at the beginning, staring out at the ocean and marveling at the numerous waves that twisted and swirled the mass of blue underneath the plane, but even that got boring after a while. Seeing no other way to alleviate his boredom, Harry took to looking around the plane, in particular, his fellow passenger.

He noticed that she was looking at him too, shooting momentary glances at him but always darting her eyes away once she saw him looking her way. At first, Harry kept silent, but as his boredom got to the better of him, he finally decided to do something about it and be the first to speak up.

"So..." The woman's eyes lit up as she turned her head to look at Harry. Harry didn't exactly continue speaking right away, taking a moment to glance at Snake to see what she would do to his obvious breaking of her most important rule. To his relief, Snake didn't speak up, so he was in the clear right now, "Why are you going to Safe Haven?"

"Oh, this that what the place's called?" The woman stared at him with widened eyes, "Umm...i-in that case. Job transfer. You?"

"Rehabilitation" explained Harry "Got an alcohol problem that became way too big for my family to handle. Now, I'm going to go get cleaned up"

"Aren't you a little young to have an alcohol problem?" frowned the woman, to which Harry just shrugged.

"I don't know, is there a minimum age where my life can't fuck up already? Ms..."

"Walden, Cameron Walden" She reached over and shook Harry's coarse hands, "You can call me Cameron instead"

"Can I?" Harry felt a little unsure with himself, "Wouldn't be disrespectful of me?"

"Well I'm Twenty-five, how old are you?"

"Twenty" replied Harry.

Cameron gasped, clasping her hands to her lips in horror, "You're only twenty?! How could you have an alcohol problem at the age of twenty?! You're so young!"

"Oh, I don't know" snarled Harry sarcastically, the anger within him slowly rising. There it is again. Those eyes. Those eyes that would just stare at him judgingly without ever considering the situation from his perspective, "Maybe it's because both parents were murdered when I was one, maybe its because I grew up in an abusive household until I was eleven, maybe because the same guy that murdered my parents tried to kill me for seven years straight! Maybe its because I **killed** the same fucker when I was only seventeen!"

Cameron was silent, her expression once more than communicating her fright. Harry didn't care - instead, pulling out his flask to take another swig. Sighing in relief as he felt the allure of alcohol once more flood his veins, Harry slumped back into his chair, eager for some sleep since he knew that his attempts at conversation got him nowhere.

"I'm...sorry"

Hmm? Harry cracked an eye open, to see Cameron looking remorsefully to his side.

This was new.

"I didn't think i-it...it was going to be _that_ bad. For what it's worth, I'm sorry"

"Nothing against you" mumbled Harry sadly, he stared out of his window and took a sip of his alcohol, "You wouldn't understand, it's just...life's been really shit on me for the last few years. First I get fired from my dream job...then I broke up with my girlfriend...then I..."

Harry trailed off, aware now of the tears flowing down his cheeks, "It's so hard! Having to live and take care of a boy who looks so much his dead parents. Bad enough that his parents were your friends, every time I look at him - I just...see a boy whose circumstances are so much like mine. Who grew up with no mother and father. I-I did my best. T-t-to give him a good life despite all my problems, and yet I can't even succeed at that!"

Harry bent over, his chest hurting as his heart contracted and expanded at an exceptional rate, "Damn, getting that off my chest was better than I expected" said Harry breathlessly., wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Sometimes its the best thing," said Cameron, "I didn't have a good relationship with my father, neither did my mother - he walked out on us when I was really young. My mother was the only one that I could bond with...Now, with losing her as well, the only thing I can do is keep moving forward. Cause I know deep in my heart my mother wouldn't have wanted to spend my life wallowing in despair"

Harry was silent for a moment as he considered Cameron's words, "I guess I can drink to that" said Harry after a while, raising his flask to her, "You're right. I guess I do have Safe Haven to look forward to. It won't just be muggles, there'll be other witches and wizards too, so I won't be lonely"

Harry took another swig, this time feeling a little better. It was only after he capped it and placed it down that he realized Cameron was staring at him strangely.

"What?"

"Y...you...y-you said witches and w-wizards" sputtered Cameron, her face boggled with shock.

"Well, duh, what else would I be talking about? You should know about witches and wizards. After all, you're on a plane currently flying to a magical settlement" Cameron's face did nothing but grow ever more and more shocked. Harry felt a rising panic forming at the base of his stomach, "Y-you didn't know?"

"What?" Cameron's face turned ashen, something Harry felt he was probably becoming as well, "Is this some sort of joke?"

Shit. Harry needed to fix this. Now.

"Okay...calm. Calm. Down" said Harry gently, coaxing Cameron to calm down. It worked, to a degree, as Cameron stopped pressing her back against the window and returned to her seat, despite a noticeable shake in her statue, "What I'm about to tell you next is no joke. Everything I'm about to say is real and the only thing I want you to do is to remain calm. Did you get it? This is a sensitive matter"

Cameron shot him a frightened look but eventually nodded her head meekly.

And so he told her. Everything.

Everything about the magical world. Everything about the communities hidden within London and various other cities across the continent. Everything about his time at Hogwarts, his friends and everything he was taught at while he was there. He even told her about the issue of magical blood in the wizarding world, which she took a great interest in.

Was he breaking every single law regarding conduct when dealing with Muggles? Probably.

But he didn't care. Cameron proved to be an excellent companion to tell his stories to. She was frightened at first, anxious even, but eventually grew more and more intrigued as the hours ticked away. Soon she started asking questions regarding the various things in the wizarding world, something Harry was more happy to provide answers to.

"Wow..." Cameron stared in shock as Harry materialized a flower in his hand using his wand for her to see, "This magical world sounds amazing. How come I've never heard of it?"

"You're what we call a muggle. Non-magical folk. We have various enhancements and spells to keep muggles out"

"But why would you do that? You guys are amazing! Why would you want to stay hidden from the rest of the world?"

"About that..." Harry scratched his cheek awkwardly, "You ever heard of the Salem witch trials?"

"I..." Cameron opened her mouth to respond, but then quickly snapped it shut as she realized what he was talking about, "Oh..."

"Yeah" Harry grimaced, before tossing his wand back into his opened suitcase. The suitcase's first few compartments laid open on the floor after Harry took various things from the magical world out of them to show Cameron. Things like sneakoscopes, telescopes, and even a few packs of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavored Beans, which Harry and Cameron had some fun with when breaking bread together.

"So you say this 'Safe Haven' we're going to is a wizarding settlement?" asked Cameron.

"Well, not exactly" explained Harry, "From the notes my friend left me before his passing, it's sort of a refuge for other magical creatures, including wizards and witches. Creatures like werewolves..."

"W-werewolves?"

"Mermaids"

"M-m-mermaids?"

"Talking animals"

"T...t-talking a-animals?!"

"Are you okay?" Harry stopped his talking, directing his attention to Cameron who seemed to be hyperventilating, "What's wrong"

"I...I..." Cameron looked away, embarrassment staining her cheeks, "I have zoophobia"

"What's that?" asked Harry, vaguely familiar with what a phobia was based on Ron and his phobia of spiders.

"It's..." She twirled her gold-brown locks with a finger, "It's a fear of animals"

"Oh...yeah...that might be a problem" Harry winced, "This place has quite the large number of animals in it"

"How much are we talking about here?" asked Cameron, positively terrified.

"Err..." Harry almost felt unsure if he should be telling her this or not, "Well in a population of a few million, around seventy percent are talking animals or anthropomorphic animals?" Was he reading this sheet wrong? Matters not, for Cameron, was looking absolutely petrified at his words.

"S-seventy-p-p-percent?"

"Look! I'm sure it's going to be all fine!" said Harry as quickly as he could, noticing how her pupils were dilating and her chest was rising and falling like crazy, "Maybe you won't have a reaction when we land. We'll just disembark off the plane slowly, not talk to any of them, and then figure things out from there. Don't worry, should be all fine"

* * *

It wasn't fine.

Dammit. Fate just wasn't on his side for this one.

For, once the plane landed onto the runway early next morning, Cameron collapsed immediately once they left the plane together.

Now to his credit, he didn't know that there was going to be a conglomeration of talking animals and animal-people standing right in front of the plane's exit to welcome her to Safe Haven. But it was rather awkward, what with Cameron lying at the bottom of the stairs in a dead faint, for Harry to be standing above her shocked, while numerous mythical creatures silently stared at him.

The stunned silence was only broken by a purple and pink fox with a pendant around his neck, and an absurdly massive tail.

"Sooo...who's the extra?"


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter and Zoophobia canon. They are the rightful property of J.K Rowling and Vivienne Madrano respectively.**

**Chapter 3: Safe Haven**

"This...is kinda awkward...don't you think?"

The giant spotted cheetah in front of Harry ignored his comments - instead, staring at him intensely with those large unblinking, yellow feline eyes. Harry gulped as the cheetah pulled Lupin's notes out with his tail to read, occasionally rising up to stare at Harry before redirecting his attention back to the papers. There was silence in the room, with the only sound being the ticking from the grandfather clock that hung from the nearby wall, and the occasional flipping of paper from the cheetah.

*Tick!*

*Tock!*

*Tick!*

*Tock!*

"It seems we are at an impasse in regards to your immigration," said the cheetah suddenly, Harry looked up from his knees, towards the cheetah who was looking at him seriously, "So, for your sake, I hope the following conversation can be conducted as honestly as possible, do you have any enmity towards this?"

"Err...no?" said Harry cautiously. The cheetah nodded approvingly.

"Very good. Now, Mr. Potter, my name is Zechariah, vice-principal of the Zoo Phoenix Academy and your current mediator for the Department of Immigration until their representative arrives. Now..." Zechariah stacked Lupin's notes and slid them across the desk towards Harry. "Where did you get these notes?"

"I...I beg you pardon?" asked Harry, confused.

"These notes. Or rather the information that's written on them. Where did you get it?"

"Oh! Well..." So Harry explained to Zechariah everything. How these notes came from Lupin who, before his unfortunate death, had been collecting information on werewolf populations. How these notes were given to Harry by Lupin's mother-in-law. And how Harry spent nights pouring over them until he found the plane ticket at the back labeled for a trip to Safe Haven.

"I...see," said Zechariah after a brief moment of silence after Harry finished telling his story, "This proves to be quite a bit of a problem"

"How so?" asked Harry.

"You are already aware of much about Safe Haven. Therefore, you must understand, Mr. Potter, that Safe Haven is aptly names Safe Haven for a reason," explained Zechariah, "It is a place of refuge for creatures neglected and discriminated against by the wider world. Werewolves, unicorns, anthropomorphic talking animals; whereas the rest of the world shuns and seeks harm upon us for who we are, Safe Haven embraces all peculiarity and provides a place to which creatures like me, can live in safety and peace"

"Part of the protection that ensures Safe Haven's continual prosperity and survival from the malignant forces that threaten to consumes us - is secrecy" continued Zechariah, "Circulating information regarding Safe Haven is very repressed, only passed through by word of mouth by trusted associates in the Outside world. Written information, especially on Safe Haven, is a criminal offense"

"Does...this mean I'm going to prison?" Harry felt his heartbeat with increasing palpitation as he heard Zechariah speak.

"Not at all, Mr. Potter" Harry sighed internally in relief, "But the papers will have to be destroyed for our security sake. I hope you can understand why"

"Yeah...I guess..." There was some measure of sadness within Harry as he watched Zechariah take Lupin's notes back. These were, after all, one of the last few writings from his friend. But, if it would help him with his immigration to Safe Haven, then that was a sacrifice he was willing to go through.

"Good. A more serious question I have to press on about is this..." Harry noticed that Zechariah was looking at him sombrely, "Did you tell anyone in the Outside, the existence of Safe Haven?"

Oh shit.

Before Harry could speak, the doors to the office opened and a figure walked in.

"Ah, Ms. McGuire. How nice to see you" Zechariah slinked from his chair and trodded over to shake the hand/paw of the recently arrived individual. Harry just sat in his chair, completely stunned as he tried to comprehend what he was currently seeing. It was a large, bipedal individual with a coat of dark-purple fur. Her face was very canine in nature, with rose-pink colored eyes and bubblegum-pink color hair that she wore in bangs over her face, "This here is Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter, this is Ms. McGuirve of the Department of Immigration in Safe Haven"

"You can just call me Maggie" replied the...wolf-woman...girl? - humbly as she grabbed Harry's hand and shook. Hard. "I'm not exactly the Department of Immigration material just yet - an intern for now. But I'm here to represent them whilst we deal with the situation you've presented us with" she added with a small chuckle.

Harry nodded, rubbing his fingers in pain behind his back. Maggie talked to Zechariah as he filled her in on the current situation. He then drew a chair for her which she sat down on, opening her briefcase and pulled out stacks of paper as well as a notebook and pens. Zechariah returned to his seat.

"As I was saying, Mr. Potter, did you tell anyone about Safe Haven before you left the Outside world?"

"Umm...I may have told a few people?" said Harry quietly. He felt his heart plummet as Zechariah and Maggie shot each other concerned looks. "W-what? What's the problem?"

"It's quite a big problem, actually" Maggie replied as she browsed through the papers, "The fact that your friend somehow got information on Safe Haven without any of us knowing is already a case for concern, but that is neither here nor there. Your actions so far classify as a stage 3 level breach of security. N-not that you're going to get arrested or anything!" she added quickly once she saw the shock on Harry's face, "You, after all, didn't know about our laws. We'll have to see what happens once I finalize my report to the upper echelons of the Department."

"Should I send an owl to the people I told Safe Haven too? Tell them that I'm fine and not to visit me?" asked Harry, trying to come up with ways to help them. He had already screwed up quite a bit, and he hadn't even passed the immigration phase yet!

"Not that they would have been able to do so in the first place," said Maggie, "But no, sorry, you can't send any owls while you are in Safe Haven"

"Then just let me leave for a little bit - step outside of the city while I send the owls," said Harry optimistically.

"That's not how it works," said Zechariah stiffly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but you cannot communicate to anyone from the Outside world anymore"

Harry felt his stomach sink like a stone in water. Zechariah and Maggie both gave him grim looks as he whispered out a single word.

"What?"

"It's as Zechariah as says it is," said Maggie sadly. She twirled a pen in her claws while avoiding eye contact with Harry, "See, as much as the shield around Safe Haven protects us from forces on the outside, it also has the adverse effect of keeping us in. Part of the magic that provides it strength, is the collective magic of the people that remain within it. For every person that comes into the effect of the magic, the shield grows stronger. If people leave, then the shield steadily gets weaker and weaker"

"But what about Ms. Snake?! How come she can come and go?!" protested Harry, suddenly remembering the pilot who delivered him to Safe Haven.

"Snake is a...special case. She's given special clearance cause her job involvers her ferrying in supplies and new residents from the Outside. Her job ensures she always has an intent to return to Safe Haven. That way, despite leaving the shield for a while, the magic is constantly reinforced when she returns"

"So...like a blood ward?" Familiarity came to Harry. It sounded awfully similar to the blood wards Dumbledore told him about in his sixth year of Hogwarts, "I've been under the influence of blood wards before. But I've always been able to move in and out of the protective charm!"

"If that is what you wizards call it, then yes, yes it is. Though...I'm not sure if I can authorize you to have the same privileges as Snake, it's the council and department responsibility to allocate that privilege" replied Maggie quietly. She let the message sink into Harry for a while before hitting him with the final words. "I'm sorry...but for the moment, you're stuck here forever"

Forever. The sting of that word hit him like the impact of a bludger. Or maybe ten bludgers. Simultaneously.

He didn't even hear Maggie continue on about her concerns about security breaches or his intentions to immigrate into Safe Haven. He just nodded his head dumbly, barely clinging onto the words that she spoke. Rehabilitation? What was the point of rehabilitation if he couldn't leave once he was done? What was the point if he couldn't go back to Teddy and be the Godfather he deserved to have? A wave of shame hit Harry. Was this how Sirius felt? To be a failed Godfather that cost him the life of his best friend and the boy he was supposed to protect? Harry felt like a useless sack of stones, being thrown off a cliff and not sinking, but being battered against the cliff face over and over again by the waves of life.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Hmm...?"

He broke out of his train of thought to look at Zechariah and Maggie. Both gave him concerned looks.

"Are you okay, Mr. Potter?" Zechariah was staring at him with those overly-large cat eyes. Harry was vaguely reminded of Crookshanks. "I know much of this is daunting for you. Do you need a few moments to yourself?"

Harry felt sick to the stomach, but he bit his tongue and kept his face as straight as he could.

"I'm fine" he replied firmly. Zechariah looked skeptic but didn't push it any further.

"Well...if you say so..." Maggie slid a piece of paper over to him, "I had a look through your friend's notes. Seems he'd been offered a house in the Animal District by whoever he got the information from. He never bought it, of course, but I called up the Department and they said the house is still open. Seeing as how it's still up for rent, perhaps you would like it? It would at least solve the accommodation problem for you.

"You'll find the price...tolerable. What do you think?" And it was. Based on the information he read off the paper, it only cost him one hundred dollars every fortnight. There was probably other information on that piece of paper as well, but he felt too numb to continue reading.

He just nodded his head slowly.

* * *

Standing outside of the school, Harry barely felt , took notice of or heard anything, not even the curious chatter from the students around him. His mind and thoughts were too busy swimming around in his head, trying to comprehend the situation that he was currently in.

All of it. Everything. It all just felt so pointless now.

Before he could wallop in his misery for any longer, Maggie appeared behind him.

"Great news, Mr. Potter," said Maggie enthusiastically, "I've talked to the bosses up on top and they've decided to designate as me your liaisons officer!"

"Is...is that a good thing?"

"You betcha it is!" She grinned at him, grabbing Harry by the arm and dragged/guided him to the exit of the school. There she signaled one of several taxis sitting at a bay near the gates to the school. As she and Harry piled into the spacious back of the car, Maggie slipped the address of the apartment to the driver, whom Harry noticed was some sort of lizard-human hybrid.

"Now, let me explain to you your situation" began Maggie, sitting down next to Harry. The taxi moved and entered into the main traffic, "Currently as it stands, you're registered on the Safe Haven's offenders list. Not that that's a bad thing!" reiterated Maggie once she saw him visibly panic, "It just means that you are going to have to be monitored by a liaison officer for a short duration of time - that would be me. Now as to why you are on the list, it primarily has to do with the circumstances involving your unexpected, and slightly illegal, arrival into Safe Haven. Coupled with your history of alcohol abuse and your inability to hold a job for the last few months, let's just say you don't exactly have the cleanest record coming in Safe Haven"

"Therefore it's my responsibility-" she puffed her chest out proudly, "I'm to help you settle into Safe Haven. Help you get a stable income, connect with the community and such. For now, though, let's focus on settling you into your new home. While we're on the way there-"

She then went on some long talk about landmarks that the taxi would pass now and then. It went on like this for a while, as the taxi entered a massive freeway until she realized that Harry wasn't making any responses to her comments.

"Mr. Potter? Is everything alright?"

No. **Nothing** was alright. Everything that could possibly go wrong **was** going wrong. As much as Harry wanted to enjoy what MAggie was saying to him, he just couldn't find it within himself to do so, instead just staring at the passing trees sadly.

"It's...it's just..." Harry struggled to find the words to say. He knew he couldn't rant to Maggie all of his qualms, especially since she's been nothing but helpful to him this entire time.

"Just tell me what's bothering you, Harry - I can call you Harry, right?" said Maggie sympathetically.

"Yeah...sure..." Harry gave a huge sigh, "I'm sorry if I'm coming off as ungrateful for what you're trying to do. Helping me and whatnot. It's just...I can't help but feel as if all of this is just so...pointless"

When Maggie didn't respond, just staring at him worryingly, Harry continued, "I have a kid" He paused to let her gasp, "Well...he's not exactly my child per say, but he is my responsibility. I knew his parents...before their...unfortunate passing. I've...I-I've been a horrible godfather for him; ironic, I know, coming from someone who never knew his parents. You would think that particular experience would spur me to try harder, but instead I all did was waste my chance with him"

"Then...why are you here?" asked Maggie.

"To get help" replied Harry sadly, "I came here hoping that I could find some help for my alcohol problem. Where I'm from the medical facilities exist...but the world, nothing but bad memories" He shuddered, "Now? What's the point of anything?! Why bother trying to be rehabilitated if I can't even go back to my child to take care of him?! Why do I even bother living after everything that I've gone through?! Why?! Why?! WHY?!"

He was bawling now. All the regrets. All the anger. All the fears and anxieties that kept him up at night. All the ghosts that haunt him in his sleep. Every drop of stinging injustice that he ever felt. It came out of him like the force of a waterfall.

Harry continued to cry, even as he felt Maggie wrap her arms around him in comfort. Like a pipe that's had too much water channeled into it, the tears from Harry keeping coming and coming. He swore he even heard the driver close the hatch, separating the forward compartment of the taxi from the back section of the taxi.

It seems he too, could not stand the sound of Harry crying.

"There, there," said Maggie soothingly, after the worst of Harry fit had calmed down, "I didn't know before, but now I know. For what it's worth, I'm sorry"

Harry mumbled in her arms. She patted him on the back, acknowledging his words that she was not a fault.

"Tell you what, I'll press your case to my bosses. I know it's not much but I'll try it anyway" Harry raised his head slowly to look at Maggie's pink-colored eyes, "So please, don't lose all hope yet Harry. Don't think as if Safe Haven is becoming your prison, because it's not. Safe Haven was built to help people and its mission has not changed since its founding. No matter how bad it gets, have hope, for something safe will eventually find its way around the corner"

"I...I..." Words could not describe the overwhelming feeling of relief that was coursing through his body, "I...thank you" he gutted out. He felt tired. Though he felt reinvigorated to continue with his rehabilitation plans; for now, a nice quiet apartment was all that he wanted.

"That's quite alright" she smiled sweetly at him, "I signed on as a member of the Immigration Department to help people, not to be the bearer of bad news. I don't think anyone's said this to you yet so let me be the first to say it, Welcome to Safe Haven Harry" She placed a hand out for him to shake.

Harry stared at her furry hand, before wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve and clasping his hand into hers. Her hand was incredibly warm and soft.

"Thank you" As he shook her hand, he noticed the strength that she placed in her hands, "You have a strong grip"

"I do?" She asked him curiously before withdrawing her hand and blushing heavily, "Oh! Many apologies. I'm so used to dealing with non-humans that I forget I need to check my strength around humans sometimes"

"What are you, by the way?" asked Harry. He bit his lips in horror quickly afterward, unsure if the question he asked was something extremely offensive or not.

"I'm a werewolf," said Maggie proudly. She noticed his shocked expression and nodded her head eagerly, "Oh yes, I get that a lot from new arrivals. We werewolves in Safe Haven retain our wolf forms for a majority of our lives, only reverting back to out human forms during the full moon. Turns out werewolves from the Outside world are completely opposite from us. Can you believe that?"

He could, actually. After his experience with Lupin's wolf form in his third year, as well as Fenrir Greyback's notorious savagery during the Second Wizarding War, Maggie was a lot more different - and might he add more pleasant, from the werewolves he knew. While Lupin and Greyback had a feral-look to their wolf forms and human forms alike, Maggie's dark purple fur was nicely combed and clean, dressed in a purple and pink suit and skirt, complete with a little pink bow on her neck. Lupin and Greyback were often hunched over, Maggie's spine was straight, completely bipedal like a normal human. And whilst Lupin and Greyback had very bald, furry heads whose fur color was the same as the fur on their wolf bodies, Maggie was definitely not lacking hair nor variety, her bright bubble-gum pink hair closely resembling-

*BAM*

He felt that. He bit his tongue and forced his eyes to gaze out of the window. Anything, anything to distract him from the pain that was throbbing in his chest, crushing his stomach, would be all that he needed.

The freeway they've been traveling on for quite a while now picked up speed as it entered a dip in the bridge. Harry gasped as the dip rounded a corner, his eyeballs ogling at the sight that was before him.

Hidden behind a tall mountain, covered in lush jungles, was a small city tucked beneath the shadow the mountain. While nowhere as developed as the Capital City they had just left from, or the E! District that could be seen just in the distance on another mountain range, the Animal District still gave off that vibe of a city jam-packed with excitement and adventure. Neon lights could be seen in the distance, contrasting against the setting glow of the sun. Buildings were purposefully built-in mismatched shaped by the residents, as explained by Maggie, to give it a sense of uniqueness and individuality.

"Welcome, to the Animal District," said Maggie. She grinned at the amazement on his face as the taxi pulled off from the freeway and descended from the raised platform into the city. Passing through multiple toll gates, the taxi adapted to the new speed limit, driving slowly. This allowed Harry ample time to observe the residents walking on the sidewalks.

True to its name, the 'Animal District' seemed to be filled with nothing _but _animals. Or creatures similar to animals. Anthropomorphic animals, talking animals, people with animal features, animal shapeshifters. There were even werewolves like Maggie walking on the streets.

The abnormality of it all was in how normal it all looked. There were animals sitting on benches reading the daily newspaper. An animal conversing with a werewolf over coffee on the corner of the sidewalk. He even saw avian humans transform in the middle of the streets without any of the other residents batting an eye.

It was just like the Muggle world and the Wizarding world. A completely normal society.

"You know, I just noticed this but why are all the werewolves so different in color?" asked Harry to Maggie. It was true. The werewolves all had varying shades of color, just like the buildings around them. Some were bright and cheerful; such as rainbow-colored and bright pink, while some had more somber shades; such as midnight blue and dark black.

It was all very eye-catching to see. The way that they would move in groups reminded him of flocks of birds. Except they were all wolves. Wolf-people.

"One part's expressionism" replied Maggie wisely. Harry also noticed this. No matter what color they were, there was always another color to contrast against it. For Maggie, it was dark purple and bubblegum pink, "The werewolves in Safe Haven just want to find ways to express themselves. On the other hand, it's a biological-cultural thing. Scientists hypothesize that the universal need to dye fur amongst the werewolf population is catharsis. Because we retain our wolf-bodies for most of our lives, there's a lot of pent up instincts. Dying fur is just one outlet for us to embrace our more..._primitive _side"

"You mentioned that it was _one _outlet, What other outlets are there?" asked Harry.

"Well..." Maggie chewed her lips, "There's alcohol. Then there's the night clubs and partying culture. It fits well with us because it ties in with our natural affinity for the night. You'll often find that werewolves like to live near areas packed with entertainment. In fact...I can't help but feel that I'm forgetting something"

Just as she said that the taxi pulled over on the side of the road.

"18th Doyle Road," said the taxi driver from the front, indicating to a building to their right.

The building was a dump.

Made up of faded grey bricks, it looked like the kind of house that you would find in a slum. Some of the windows were boarded up, others were smashed or cracked. The doors were ancient and the people there was a heavy smell of sulfur in the air.

"What?! This isn't what was on the paper!" cried out Maggie, outraged. Harry didn't hear her speak, instead, more focused on what was around his soon-to-be new home.

On the right distance, flashes of neon lights and vibrations from loud club music could be seen and felt by Harry. On the left, was a dilapidated bottle shop that remained open despite the numerous graffiti marks on its walls.

'Haah...' sighed Harry.

Goddamn it. There goes the nice and quiet apartment in his mind.


End file.
